This independently produced debut full-length is proclaimed to be a mix of "shoegaze, industrial and new wave". I have no clue what shoegaze music is, and I suspect our average reader may only have a passing idea. After extensive research (OK, I looked at the Wikipedia entry), I discovered it is a style of alternative rock that originated in the UK in the late '80s to mid '90s, peaking in 1990 / '91 before being pushed aside in favour of grunge and britpop. They are called shoegazers, as live shows were rather uninspiring, consisting of members staring at the floor, motionless. Extensive use was made of guitar effects, and the vocal melodies are blended into the music.

The above description is near perfect. Leads are largely absent, with the focus on droning, fuzzy sounding guitars. Vocals are usually subdued, almost blending into the music, and the few occasions when the lyrics are distinct, they have an '80s new wave / goth tone. No real drums are used, in favour of programmed drums yet again.

At thirteen songs performed in 71 minutes, there is plenty of room for songs to be edited and even removed entirely, but there is also enough decent material to make a purchase worthwhile. Admittedly, this may be a bit "alternative" for our virtual pages, but in their defence they do proclaim Xasthur to be one of their favourite bands on their Myspace page!